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 NAWHO was founded in 1993 by Mary Hayashi, who is currently serving as a Member of the California State Legislature. Assemblymember Mary Hayashi was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2006, representing District 18. It includes the cities of Hayward, San Leandro, Dublin, most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton, and a portion of Oakland, as well as the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, Sunol and San Lorenzo. Appointed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez to his Assembly leadership team in December 2006, Assemblymember Hayashi currently holds the Assistant Majority Whip position of the Democratic Caucus.
Assemblymember Hayashi has advised the nation's top policy leaders, and has established unprecedented partnerships in support of social causes that previously had no financial or public backing. In addition to serving as NAWHO's CEO through its first ten years, she is the former California Director of the American Public Health Association, where she was the lead consultant on a bioterrorism preparedness initiative in California. In addition, she held an appointed position on the Board of Registered Nursing, which licenses and regulates registered nursing in California, and served on the boards of the Chabot Community College Foundation, Girls, Inc. of Alameda County, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Dedicated to promoting the mental health of children and families, Assemblymember Hayashi continues to serve as a Commissioner on the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, which monitors the implementation of mental health care services under Proposition 63.
Assemblymember Hayashi's remarkable journey from her childhood in Korea to prominence as a health care leader is documented in her book, Far From Home: Shattering the Myth of the Model Minority. She has been honored by several organizations and institutions for her dedication to health and social issues. Redbook magazine named Assemblymember Hayashi one of its “Mothers and Shakers,” and Ladies’ Home Journal cited her as a “Woman to Watch.” The Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women named her a Women and Industry honoree, and the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center honored her with their 2004 Leadership Award.
Assemblymember Hayashi earned a bachelor of science in applied economics from the University of San Francisco and a master of business administration from Golden Gate University. She resides in Castro Valley with her husband, Dennis Hayashi, a civil rights attorney.
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